Managing communication between gateway and building automation device

ABSTRACT

A method for managing communication with a building automation device, the method being performed in a gateway, the method including the steps of: establishing communication with the building automation device over a first communication protocol; installing executable software instructions on the building automation device over the first communication protocol to provide a capability to communicate over a second communication protocol; and establishing communication with the building automation device over the second communication protocol.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of International Patent ApplicationNo. PCT/EP2015/077242, filed on Nov. 20, 2015, the entire disclosure ofwhich is hereby incorporated by reference herein.

FIELD

The invention relates to methods, a gateway, a building automationdevice, computer programs and computer program products for managingcommunication between a building automation device and a gateway.

BACKGROUND

Building Automation (BA) is an area where communication technology isused to influence how a building is managed. Building automation can beused both for data retrieval using sensors, and for affecting buildingsystems using actuators. A control unit can use input from the sensorsand thereby influence various aspects of the building using theactuators. The sensors can e.g. be temperature sensors, humiditysensors, door/window opening sensors, cameras, IR detectors, etc.Actuators can e.g. be used to control heating, ventilation, airconditioning (HVAC), alarms, door openers, etc. Sensors and actuatorsare collectively denoted building automation devices.

Each building automation device can be quite small and may be restrictedin terms of communication capabilities, memory, processing capabilities,energy usage, etc.

Recently, wireless technology has been introduced in the field ofbuilding automation. The building automation devices can thencommunicate with a gateway, which in turn is in communication with alocal and/or remote control device. However, since there are so manydifferent wireless communication protocols, it gets very complicated tosupport all wireless communication protocols, or at least a wirelesscommon communication protocol which can be used for communicationbetween the gateway and the building automation device. Moreover,different building automation devices typically originate from differentmanufacturers and these may thus support different communicationprotocols, further complicating the compatibility problems.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,219,660 presents a building automation system (BAS)network manager supporting a plurality of device protocols coupled to atleast one communication network, and a plurality of logical connectionsto individual BAS networks to multiple end devices of a BAS. The BASnetwork manager can communicate with each of the end devices regardlessof the protocol or protocol version of the BAS network by implementing aprotocol stack above the link layer for each protocol or protocolversion, providing an integrated multi-BAS network interface, andmaintaining a device identifier for each BAS network the network manageris coupled to in the protocol stack. However, this solution provides acomplicated solution to the problem, requiring simultaneous support forseveral protocols. This is not only complicates the real-time processingin the network manager, but also causes interference between differentprotocols.

SUMMARY

In an embodiment, the present invention provides a method for managingcommunication with a building automation device, the method beingperformed in a gateway and comprising the steps of: establishingcommunication with the building automation device over a firstcommunication protocol; installing executable software instructions onthe building automation device over the first communication protocol toprovide a capability to communicate over a second communicationprotocol; and establishing communication with the building automationdevice over the second communication protocol.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be described in even greater detail belowbased on the exemplary figures. The invention is not limited to theexemplary embodiments. Other features and advantages of variousembodiments of the present invention will become apparent by reading thefollowing detailed description with reference to the attached drawingswhich illustrate the following:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an environment in whichembodiments presented herein can be applied;

FIGS. 2A-B are schematic diagrams illustrating communication between thegateway and a building automation device of FIG. 1 using two differentprotocols;

FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram illustrating the communication flow betweenthe gateway and a building automation device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart managing communication with a building automationdevice, performed in the gateway of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart managing communication with a gateway, performedin a building automation device of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing some components of the gateway ofFIG. 1 according to one embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing some components of a buildingautomation device of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 8 shows one example of a computer program product comprisingcomputer readable means.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

According to a first aspect, it is provided a method for managingcommunication with a building automation device. The method is performedin a gateway and comprises the steps of: establishing communication withthe building automation device over a first communication protocol;installing executable software instructions on the building automationdevice over the first communication protocol, to provide a capability tocommunicate over a second communication protocol; and establishingcommunication with the building automation device over the secondcommunication protocol.

The first communication protocol and the second communication protocolmay be media access control, MAC, level protocols.

The first communication protocol and the second communication protocolmay be physical level protocols.

The first communication protocol and the second communication protocolmay both be selected from the group consisting of 6L0WPAN, IPv6 over Lowpower Wireless Personal Area Networks, IEEE 802.15.4, ZigBee, Thread,Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, Digital Enhanced CordlessTelecommunications Ultra Low Energy, DECT ULE, and EnOcean.

The second communication protocol may be a later revision of the firstcommunication protocol.

According to a second aspect, it is provided a gateway for managingcommunication with a building automation device. The gateway comprises:a processor; and a memory storing instructions that, when executed bythe processor, cause the gateway to: establish communication with thebuilding automation device over a first communication protocol; installexecutable software instructions on the building automation device overthe first communication protocol, to provide a capability to communicateover a second communication protocol; and establish communication withthe building automation device over the second communication protocol.

The first communication protocol and the second communication protocolmay be media access control, MAC, level protocols.

The first communication protocol and the second communication protocolmay be physical level protocols.

The first communication protocol and the second communication protocolmay both be selected from the group consisting of 6L0WPAN, IPv6 over Lowpower Wireless Personal Area Networks, IEEE 802.15.4, ZigBee, Thread,Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, Digital Enhanced CordlessTelecommunications Ultra Low Energy, DECT ULE, and EnOcean.

The second communication protocol may be a later revision of the firstcommunication protocol.

According to a third aspect, it is provided a computer program formanaging communication with a building automation device. The computerprogram comprises computer program code which, when run on a gatewaycauses the gateway to: establish communication with the buildingautomation device over a first communication protocol; installexecutable software instructions on the building automation device overthe first communication protocol, to provide a capability to communicateover a second communication protocol; and establish communication withthe building automation device over the second communication protocol.

According to a fourth aspect, it is provided a computer program productcomprising a computer program according to the third aspect and acomputer readable means on which the computer program is stored.

According to a fifth aspect, it is provided a method for managingcommunication with a gateway. The method is performed in a buildingautomation device and comprises the steps of: establishing communicationwith the gateway over a first communication protocol; receiving, fromthe gateway over the first communication protocol, a command to installa capability to communicate over a second communication protocol;receiving executable software instructions to be used for communicationover the second communication protocol; installing the executablesoftware instructions to provide the capability to communicate over thesecond communication protocol; and establishing communication with thegateway over the second communication protocol.

The method may further comprise the step of: accepting communicationover the first communication protocol for a predetermined duration whenthe building automation device is powered on.

According to a sixth aspect, it is provided a building automation devicefor managing communication with a gateway. The building automationdevice comprises: a processor; and a memory storing instructions that,when executed by the processor, cause the building automation device to:establish communication with the gateway over a first communicationprotocol; receive, from the gateway over the first communicationprotocol, a command to install a capability to communicate over a secondcommunication protocol; receive executable software instructions to beused for communication over the second communication protocol; installthe executable software instructions to provide the capability tocommunicate over the second communication protocol; and establishcommunication with the gateway over the second communication protocol.

The building may further comprise instructions that, when executed bythe processor, cause the building automation device to: acceptcommunication over the first communication protocol for a predeterminedduration when the building automation device is powered on.

According to a seventh aspect, it is provided a computer program formanaging communication with a gateway. The computer program comprisescomputer program code which, when run on a building automation devicecauses the building automation device to: establish communication withthe gateway over a first communication protocol; receive, from thegateway over the first communication protocol, a command to install acapability to communicate over a second communication protocol; receiveexecutable software instructions required for communication over thesecond communication protocol; install the executable softwareinstructions to provide the capability to communicate over the secondcommunication protocol; and establish communication with the gatewayover the second communication protocol.

According to an eighth aspect, it is provided a computer program productcomprising a computer program according to the seventh aspect and acomputer readable means on which the computer program is stored.

Generally, all terms used in the claims are to be interpreted accordingto their ordinary meaning in the technical field, unless explicitlydefined otherwise herein. All references to “a/an/the element,apparatus, component, means, step, etc.” are to be interpreted openly asreferring to at least one instance of the element, apparatus, component,means, step, etc., unless explicitly stated otherwise. The steps of anymethod disclosed herein do not have to be performed in the exact orderdisclosed, unless explicitly stated.

The invention will now be described more fully hereinafter withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which certain embodiments ofthe invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied inmany different forms and should not be construed as limited to theembodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided byway of example so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete,and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in theart. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout the description.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an environment in whichembodiments presented herein can be applied. A gateway t is capable ofwireless communication with a plurality of building automation devices2, e.g. being sensors and/or actuators, used for building automation.Examples of sensors are temperature sensors, humidity sensors,door/window opening sensors, cameras, IR detectors, etc. Actuators cane.g. be used to control heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC),alarms, door openers, etc. Each building automation device 2 can bequite small and may be restricted in terms of communicationcapabilities, power consumption and/or processing power.

The gateway 1 provides connectivity for the building automation devices2 to a network 6, such as a local area network (LAN) or the Internet,whereby each building automation device 2 can communicate with asuitable control node 7. The control node 7 can e.g. be a server, clientand/or control terminal, which can read information from a sensor and/ortrigger actuation of an actuator of the building automation devices 2.For instance, the control node 7 can in this way be used for HVAC,alarms, access management, etc.

The inventors have realised by providing the building automation devices2 with a known first communication protocol, this first communicationprotocol can be exploited to install support for a second communicationprotocol. In this way, the building automation devices 2 can be providedwithout the need to support all possible communication protocols whichgreatly simplifies deployment and reduces compatibility issues betweengateway 1 and building automation devices 2. Moreover, the communicationprotocol used between the gateway 1 and the building automation devices2 can be upgraded to support a later version or a completely newwireless communication protocol. The first communication protocol canoptionally be quite basic and only needs to be used to allowinstallation of the second communication protocol.

FIGS. 2A-B are schematic diagrams illustrating communication between thegateway and a building automation device of FIG. 1 using two differentprotocols.

FIG. 2A discloses a first communication protocol 10 used forcommunication between the gateway t and the building automation device2. Support for this first communication protocol 10 is preinstalled inthe building automation device 2, whereby the building can communicatewith the gateway 1 using the first communication protocol 10 without anyadditional installation when the building automation device 2 isdeployed.

Using the first communication protocol, the gateway t can sendexecutable software instructions 15 to be installed in the buildingautomation device 2. The executable software instructions 15, onceinstalled, are used to provide support for a second communicationprotocol. In FIG. 2B, it is shown how the second communication protocol11 is set up and communication can occur between the building automationdevice 2 and the gateway 1 using the second communication protocol 11.It is to be noted that also the second communication protocol 11 canoptionally be used to provide new executable software instructions forsupporting a third communication protocol, etc.

FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram illustrating the communication flow betweenthe gateway 1 and a building automation device 2 of FIG. 1.

First, communication over the first communication protocol between thebuilding automation device 2 and the gateway 1 is established 20.

The gateway 1 then remotely triggers installation of executable softwareinstructions 15 at the building automation device 2. The buildingautomation device 2 subsequently installs 22 the executable softwareinstructions to provide support for the second communication protocol.Once the executable software instructions 15 are installed,communication over the second communication protocol between thebuilding automation device 2 and the gateway 1 is established 24.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart managing communication with a building automationdevice, performed in the gateway of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment.

In an establish 1st protocol communication step 40, communication isestablished with the building automation device over a firstcommunication protocol. For instance, the first communication protocolcan be 6LoWPAN(IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6) over Low powerWireless Personal Area Networks) or any other suitable communicationprotocol. The first communication protocol is predefined and support forthe first communication protocol is provided in the building automationdevice prior to deployment.

In an install 2nd protocol step 42, executable software instructions areinstalled on the building automation device over the first communicationprotocol. In other words, as shown in FIG. 2A, the gateway transmits theexecutable software instructions to the building automation device usingthe first communication protocol. Once installed, the executablesoftware instructions allows the building automation device tocommunicate over a second communication protocol.

In an establish 2nd protocol communication step 44, communication isestablished with the building automation device over the secondcommunication protocol.

The first communication protocol and the second communication protocolare can be media access control, MAC, level protocols and/or physicallayer protocols. For instance, the first communication protocol and thesecond communication protocol can both selected from the groupconsisting of 6L0WPAN, IEEE 802.15.4, ZigBee, Thread, Bluetooth,Bluetooth Low Energy, Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications UltraLow Energy (DECT ULE), and EnOcean. It is equally possible that thesecond communication protocol is a later revision of the firstcommunication protocol, allowing upgrades of the communication protocolwhich is used for communication between the gateway and the buildingautomation device.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart managing communication with a gateway, performedin a building automation device of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment.

In an establish 1st protocol communication step 50, communication isestablished with the gateway over a first communication protocol. Asexplained above, the first communication protocol is installed in thebuilding automation device prior to deployment, or at least as part ofthe deployment process.

In a receive install command step 52, a command is received from thegateway over the first communication protocol. The command instructs thebuilding automation device to install a capability to communicate over asecond communication protocol.

In a receive software step 53, executable software instructions arereceived. The executable software instructions are to be used forcommunication over the second communication protocol.

Steps 52 and 53 corresponds to FIG. 2A and is explained above.Optionally, the install command and the executable software instructionsare received as one package.

In an install step 54, the executable software instructions areinstalled to provide the capability to communicate over the secondcommunication protocol.

In an establish 2nd protocol communication step 56, communication isestablished with the gateway over the second communication protocol.

In an optional accept 1st protocol communication step 58, communicationover the first communication protocol is accepted by the buildingautomation device. This step can conditionally be performed e.g. ifcommunication over the second communication protocol is lost or if thebuilding automation device is restarted.

In an optional conditional time out step 59, it is determined whether apredetermined duration has passed after powering on the buildingautomation device. If this is not the case, the method returns to theaccept 1st protocol communication step. Otherwise, the method ends. Whenthis step is performed, the building automation device always starts upusing the first communication protocol for a certain time, allowing agateway to install another appropriate communication protocol asdesired.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing some components of the gateway 1of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment. A processor 60 is provided usingany combination of one or more of a suitable central processing unit(CPU), multiprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor (DSP),application specific integrated circuit etc., capable of executingsoftware instructions 67 stored in a memory 65, which can thus be acomputer program product. The processor 60 can be configured to executethe method described with reference to FIG. 4.

The memory 65 can be any combination of read and write memory (RAM) andread only memory (ROM). The memory 65 also comprises persistent storage,which, for example, can be any single one or combination of magneticmemory, optical memory, solid state memory or even remotely mountedmemory.

A data memory 66 is also provided for reading and/or storing data duringexecution of software instructions in the processor 60. The data memory66 can be any combination of read and write memory (RAM) and read onlymemory (ROM).

The gateway 1 further comprises an I/O interface 62 for communicatingwith other external entities. Optionally, the I/O interface 62 alsoincludes a user interface.

The gateway 1 also comprises one or more transceivers 63, comprisinganalogue and digital components, and a suitable number of antennas 61for wireless communication with building automation devices 2.

Other components of the gateway 1 are omitted in order not to obscurethe concepts presented herein.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing some components of a buildingautomation device 2 of FIG. 1. A processor 70 is provided using anycombination of one or more of a suitable central processing unit (CPU),multiprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor (DSP),application specific integrated circuit etc., capable of executingsoftware instructions 77 stored in a memory 75, which can thus be acomputer program product. The processor 70 can be configured to executethe method described with reference to FIG. 5.

The memory 75 can be any combination of read and write memory (RAM) andread only memory (ROM). The memory 75 also comprises persistent storage,which, for example, can be any single one or combination of magneticmemory, optical memory, solid state memory or even remotely mountedmemory.

A data memory 76 is also provided for reading and/or storing data duringexecution of software instructions in the processor 70. The data memory76 can be any combination of read and write memory (RAM) and read onlymemory (ROM).

The building automation device 2 further comprises an I/O interface 72for communicating with other external entities. Optionally, the I/Ointerface 72 also includes a user interface.

The building automation device 2 also comprises one or more transceivers73, comprising analogue and digital components, and a suitable number ofantennas 71 for wireless communication with a gateway 1. Executablesoftware instructions (see 15 of FIGS. 2A and 3) can be installed in thebuilding automation device 2 to thereby provide support for anadditional communication protocol. These executable softwareinstructions can be firmware, e.g. provided in the transceiver 73 and/oras part of the executable software instructions 77 in the memory 75.

Other components of the building automation device 2 are omitted inorder not to obscure the concepts presented herein.

FIG. 8 shows one example of a computer program product comprisingcomputer readable means. On this computer readable means a computerprogram 91 can be stored, which computer program can cause a processorto execute a method according to embodiments described herein. In thisexample, the computer program product is an optical disc, such as a CD(compact disc) or a DVD (digital versatile disc) or a Blu-Ray disc. Asexplained above, the computer program product could also be embodied ina memory of a device, such as the computer program product 65 of FIG. 6or 75 or the computer program product 75 of FIG. 7. While the computerprogram 91 is here schematically shown as a track on the depictedoptical disk, the computer program can be stored in any way which issuitable for the computer program product, such as a removable solidstate memory, e.g. a Universal Serial Bus (USB) drive.

The invention has mainly been described above with reference to a fewembodiments. However, as is readily appreciated by a person skilled inthe art, other embodiments than the ones disclosed above are equallypossible within the scope of the invention, as defined by the appendedpatent claims.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in thedrawings and foregoing description, such illustration and descriptionare to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive. Itwill be understood that changes and modifications may be made by thoseof ordinary skill within the scope of the following claims. Inparticular, the present invention covers further embodiments with anycombination of features from different embodiments described above andbelow. Additionally, statements made herein characterizing the inventionrefer to an embodiment of the invention and not necessarily allembodiments.

The terms used in the claims should be construed to have the broadestreasonable interpretation consistent with the foregoing description. Forexample, the use of the article “a” or “the” in introducing an elementshould not be interpreted as being exclusive of a plurality of elements.Likewise, the recitation of “or” should be interpreted as beinginclusive, such that the recitation of “A or B” is not exclusive of “Aand B,” unless it is clear from the context or the foregoing descriptionthat only one of A and B is intended. Further, the recitation of “atleast one of A, B and C” should be interpreted as one or more of a groupof elements consisting of A, B and C, and should not be interpreted asrequiring at least one of each of the listed elements A, B and C,regardless of whether A, B and C are related as categories or otherwise.Moreover, the recitation of “A, B and/or C” or “at least one of A, B orC” should be interpreted as including any singular entity from thelisted elements, e.g., A, any subset from the listed elements, e.g., Aand B, or the entire list of elements A, B and C.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for managing communication with abuilding automation device, the method being performed in a gateway andcomprising the steps of: establishing communication with the buildingautomation device over a first communication protocol; installingexecutable software instructions on the building automation device overthe first communication protocol to provide a capability to communicateover a second communication protocol; establishing communication withthe building automation device over the second communication protocol;and after communication over the second communication protocol has beenestablished, accepting communication over the first communicationprotocol for a predetermined duration when the building automationdevice is powered on.
 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein thefirst communication protocol and the second communication protocolcomprise media access control (MAC) level protocols.
 3. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein the first communication protocol and thesecond communication protocol comprise physical level protocols.
 4. Themethod according to claim 1, wherein the second communication protocolcomprises a later revision of the first communication protocol.
 5. Agateway for managing communication with a building automation device,the gateway comprising: a processor; and a memory configured to storeinstructions that, when executed by the processor, are configured tocause the gateway to: establish communication with the buildingautomation device over a first communication protocol; installexecutable software instructions on the building automation device overthe first communication protocol to provide a capability to communicateover a second communication protocol; establish communication with thebuilding automation device over the second communication protocol; andafter communication over the second communication protocol has beenestablished, accept communication over the first communication protocolfor a predetermined duration when the building automation device ispowered on.
 6. The gateway according to claim 5, wherein the firstcommunication protocol and the second communication protocol comprisemedia access control (MAC) level protocols.
 7. The gateway according toclaim 5, wherein the first communication protocol and the secondcommunication protocol comprise physical level protocols.
 8. The gatewayaccording to claim 5, wherein the second communication protocolcomprises a later revision of the first communication protocol.
 9. Acomputer program for managing communication with a building automationdevice, the computer program comprising computer program code which,when run on a gateway is configured to cause the gateway to: establishcommunication with the building automation device over a firstcommunication protocol; install executable software instructions on thebuilding automation device over the first communication protocol toprovide a capability to communicate over a second communicationprotocol; establish communication with the building automation deviceover the second communication protocol; and after communication over thesecond communication protocol has been established, accept communicationover the first communication protocol for a predetermined duration whenthe building automation device is powered on.
 10. A computer programproduct comprising the computer program according to claim 9 and acomputer readable medium on which the computer program is stored.
 11. Amethod for managing communication with a gateway, the method beingperformed in a building automation device and comprising the steps of:establishing communication with the gateway over a first communicationprotocol; receiving, from the gateway over the first communicationprotocol, a command to install a capability to communicate over a secondcommunication protocol; receiving executable software instructionsconfigured for communication over the second communication protocol;installing the executable software instructions to provide thecapability to communicate over the second communication protocol;establishing communication with the gateway over the secondcommunication protocol; and after communication over the secondcommunication protocol has been established, accepting communicationover the first communication protocol for a predetermined duration whenthe building automation device is powered on.
 12. A building automationdevice for managing communication with a gateway, the buildingautomation device comprising: a processor; and a memory storinginstructions that, when executed by the processor, are configured tocause the building automation device to: establish communication withthe gateway over a first communication protocol; receive, from thegateway over the first communication protocol, a command to install acapability to communicate over a second communication protocol; receiveexecutable software instructions to be used for communication over thesecond communication protocol; install the executable softwareinstructions to provide the capability to communicate over the secondcommunication protocol; establish communication with the gateway overthe second communication protocol; and after communication over thesecond communication protocol has been established, accept communicationover the first communication protocol for a predetermined duration whenthe building automation device is powered on.
 13. A computer program formanaging communication with a gateway, the computer program comprisingcomputer program code which, when run on a building automation device isconfigured to cause the building automation device to: establishcommunication with the gateway over a first communication protocol;receive, from the gateway over the first communication protocol, acommand to install a capability to communicate over a secondcommunication protocol; receive executable software instructionsrequired for communication over the second communication protocol;install the executable software instructions to provide the capabilityto communicate over the second communication protocol; establishcommunication with the gateway over the second communication protocol;and after communication over the second communication protocol has beenestablished, accept communication over the first communication protocolfor a predetermined duration when the building automation device ispowered on.
 14. A computer program product comprising the computerprogram according to claim 13 and a computer readable medium on whichthe computer program is stored.